Posthumanism Within Marissa Meyer's the Lunar
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THE HYBRIDITY OF HUMANITY: POSTHUMANISM WITHIN MARISSA MEYER’S THE LUNAR CHRONICLES by Jasmin Marie Gonzalez Caban A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English Charlotte 2019 Approved by: ______________________________ Dr. Paula Connolly ______________________________ Dr. Balaka Basu ______________________________ Dr. Mark West ii ©2019 Jasmin Marie Gonzalez Caban ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii ABSTRACT JASMIN MARIE GONZALEZ CABAN. Analyzing contemporary science fiction narratives through a posthuman lens. (Under the direction of Dr. PAULA CONNOLLY) In the twenty-first century, advanced technology has become an integral component to how humans interact with the world. Because technology is gradually transforming the lifestyles and compositions of humans, it is important to introduce the concept of posthumanism to current and future generations. Posthumanism questions the definition of “human” and strives to consider how humanity is changing through the exposure and usage of technology. While science fiction narratives commonly portray a posthuman reality as a dangerous and often apocalyptic scenario, recent novels have tried to approach the possibilities of posthumanism with a more optimistic frame of mind. This thesis will analyze Marissa Meyer’s series The Lunar Chronicles through a posthuman perspective to show how her characters Cinder, Wolf, and Iko depict positive images of hybrid beings. Likewise, Meyer’s series proves to be a hopeful introduction to the ideas of posthumanism that can encourage readers to redefine what being human is and contemplate the prospect of living in an inclusive posthuman society. iv AKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deepest gratitude goes to my thesis advisor Dr. Paula Connolly for her patience, guidance, encouragement, and dedication to my research interests. Your passion for children’s literature inspires me to make my mark in this field. I will always cherish your mentorship. I would also like to thank my other thesis committee members, Dr. Balaka Basu and Dr. Mark West. Your support and excitement for my research allowed me to persevere throughout the writing process. Thank you to all of my family and friends for believing in me, especially at times when it was difficult to believe in myself. Your constant love and motivation helped me see the light among the darkness. Lastly, I would like to thank my grandfather, Fernando Caban Roldan, for believing I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. You always gave me the courage to pursue my dreams. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1: ACCEPTING THE CYBORG OTHER IN MARISSA MEYER’S 8 CINDER CHAPTER 2: HUMAN-ANIMAL HYBRIDITY: THE HUMAN NATURE 24 WITHIN POSTHUMAN BEINGS CHAPTER 3: THE METAMORPHOSIS OF A POSTHUMAN BEING: IKO’S 40 RISE TO INDIVIDUALITY CONCLUSION 61 BIBLIOGRAPHY 64 1 INTRODUCTION The twenty-first century has become an era of seemingly endless technological advancement. Technology is being used to enhance communication, cure illnesses, explore the marvels of outer space, even modify humans’ biological composition. At its prime, technology is altering the way people interact with the world. As scholar Elaine Ostry says, humanity’s future is “that of a science fiction novel come to life” and what we once considered to be only science fiction, such as “cloning, genetic engineering, [and] prolongation of life…are now realities, or possible realities” (222). The idea that humans are transcending their physiological compositions due to their fusion with technology is an essential focus of posthumanism. Posthumanism is a broad term that consists of a multiplicity of approaches with both unique and conflicting perspectives. As author Victoria Flanagan discusses, posthumanism uses “technoscience as the impetus for a radical revaluation of human subjectivity, exploring the many ways in which technological innovations…have changed our understanding of what it means to be human in a modern era” (1). Some perspectives within the wide umbrella term of posthumanism include transhumanism and bioconservative posthumanism. Transhumanism is focused on how the human body can be technologically enhanced to physiologically surpass the traditional definition of “human”. This ideology also questions the ethics of advancing an individual’s body, meaning that a person should have the right to choose to purposely enhance their own body. Transhumanist scholar Nick Bostrom writes that “by responsible use of science, technology, and other rational means, we shall eventually manage to become posthuman, 2 beings with vastly greater capacities than present human beings have” (“Transhumanist Values,” 1). In contrast to Bostrom, Cary Wolfe’s perspective of posthumanism opposes transhumanism, claiming that posthumanism “names the embodiment and embeddedness of the human being” in both its biological and technological states, as well as “names a historical moment in which the decentering of the human by its imbrication in technical, medical, informatic, and economic networks is increasingly impossible to ignore” (What is Posthumanism, xv). Instead of focusing on the physiological enhancement of the human body, Wolfe would rather analyze the developmental essence of human existence. Similarly, Rosi Braidotti advocates for the end of “the categorical distinction between on the one hand human life—anthropos—and on the other, bios, as strictly policed prerogatives categorically distinct from the life of animals and nonhumans” arguing that the posthuman subject is “a composite assemblage of human, non-organic, machinic and other elements” (19). Braidotti’s perspective focuses on the blending of living beings to advocate for less constraining categorical labels within posthumanism. While these views of the posthuman condition embrace and portray a positive outlook of the advancement of humanity, bioconservative scholars such as Francis Fukuyama warn against the rapid advancement and usage of biotechnology, concerned that the human being will forever be altered in irreversible ways. Bioconservatives ultimately “oppose the use of technology to expand human capacities or to modify aspects of our [human] biological nature” (Bostrom, 18). Fukuyama, in his novel Our Posthuman Future, addresses some of the benefits biotechnology provides for humanity, but mainly focuses on the negative consequences that posthumanism can bring, 3 suggesting that biotechnological development should be regulated: “we need to start thinking concretely about how to build institutions that can discriminate between good and bad uses of biotechnology, and effectively enforce these rules both nationally and internationally” (Fukuyama, 10). Siding with the bioconservative perspective of posthumanism, Fukuyama believes that regulations will help humanity avoid the unequal distribution and implementation of biotechnology. At its core, posthumanism questions the definition of “human,” avoiding an anthropocentric view of the world to accept other forms of being. In a world where cybernetics, biomedical engineering, and virtual reality are no longer a myth, posthumanism has become a popular framework for contemporary forms of entertainment such as literature (Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One 2011), video games (Horizon Zero Dawn 2017), and films (Walt Disney’s Big Hero Six 2014). Whereas the aforementioned examples strive to depict an optimistic view of a posthuman future, the concept of posthumanism is still viewed as a threat mostly within the humanities which focus on analyzing human nature and culture. The central fear creating resistance towards posthumanism is the idea that the human will become obsolete, which is a fallacy. Instead, posthumanism gives humanity a way to reconsider how humanism, which is generally the “ideological discourse that places the rational, autonomous and cohesive human self at its centre” (Flanagan, 12), is evolving and expanding into an existence that coincides with technological progression. Addressing these concepts can lead to a more educated view of posthumanism, especially for the younger generations whose lifestyles are already mediated by technology use, such as computers, tablets, and cellular devices. 4 A posthuman society can incorporate various components. One of the main elements found in literary works includes humanity interacting with advanced technology, including digital technology, and products of cybernetics or biomedical engineering. Many narratives will include characters such as cyborgs, androids, or genetically engineered beings. A popular series in the twenty-first century that fuses iconic fairy tales with posthuman elements is Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles. For centuries, humans have used stories to talk about the past, the present, and the future. Stories are useful tools for learning about the world and all of the marvels within it. In particular, fairy tales have become popular stories for both adults and children to understand how humans socialize with one another. Writers such as Charles Perrault, William and Jacob Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont have created and transcribed stories that are still retold in the twenty-first century. These stories are not only recognized for their characters (for example “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” or “Cinderella”) and valued lessons (for example “be wary of strangers,” “be kind to others,” or “a person’s true beauty is on the inside”),